MRI Brain (Plain)
A focused scan for Brain tissue, White matter, Stroke and more.
Overview
Examines Brain tissue, White matter, Stroke, Tumours. Performed at an NABL-accredited Meridian Health centre with a same-day report and a free doctor review.
The full panel
4 areas across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this scan measures
The brain in high soft-tissue detail without any radiation — grey and white matter, the deep structures, the brainstem and cerebellum, the ventricles and the fluid spaces around the brain, and the major blood vessels when an angiographic sequence is added. Several sequences (T1, T2, FLAIR, diffusion) are run, each making different tissue changes visible.
MRI is the test of choice when the question is about brain tissue rather than fresh blood: persistent headache with abnormal signs, suspected multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, memory or behavioural change, and the characterisation of anything a CT has flagged. Diffusion imaging detects an acute ischaemic stroke within minutes of onset, far earlier than CT.
Symptoms that lead to this scan
- Persistent or progressive headache with neurological signs
- New weakness, numbness, visual disturbance or unsteadiness
- Seizures, or memory and personality change
- Suspected multiple sclerosis or another demyelinating condition
- Follow-up of a lesion seen on a previous scan
Understanding your results
Small scattered white-matter changes are reported very frequently, become more common with age, blood pressure and diabetes, and are usually described as non-specific — they are read against your age and vascular risk factors, not treated as a diagnosis. A restricted-diffusion area is the hallmark of an acute infarct. Incidental findings — a small cyst, a pineal cyst, a benign-appearing meningioma — turn up in a meaningful minority of otherwise well people and are usually managed by interval imaging. A plain MRI cannot always distinguish a tumour from infection or inflammation, which is why a contrast study is often added.
Why the preparation matters
No fasting for a plain brain MRI. The preparation that matters is the metal safety screening, which is done before you enter the room and again at the scanner: the magnet is always on, even between patients. Remove all jewellery, hairpins, hearing aids, dentures and any transdermal patch, and tell the radiographer about every implant, device, surgical clip, or a history of metal fragments in the eye. Expect loud knocking and around 30 minutes of lying still — earplugs are provided, and staying still is what determines whether the scan is diagnostic.
MRI — safety and who should not be scanned
Full MRI guideNo ionising radiation is involved — an MRI adds nothing to your lifetime radiation exposure, which is a real advantage in young patients and in repeated follow-up. The risks are entirely different in kind: the magnet is ALWAYS on, even when no one is being scanned, and it exerts strong force on ferromagnetic objects. That is why the screening questionnaire is mandatory, why loose metal must be left outside the room, and why the safety questions are asked more than once. Radiofrequency energy can also warm tissue and, rarely, metallic tattoo pigment or a wire loop; report any heating sensation immediately and the sequence will be stopped.
- Cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator (ICD)
- Many older devices are not MRI-safe and the scan can damage them, alter their programming or heat the leads. Some newer devices are 'MR-conditional' and can be scanned only under a defined protocol with cardiology support. Bring your device identification card and tell the team when you book, not on the day.
- Cochlear implants and other implanted hearing devices
- Cochlear implants contain a magnet and are generally unsafe in an MRI scanner unless the specific model is documented as MR-conditional and the manufacturer's protocol is followed. Middle-ear prostheses and bone-anchored hearing aids also need to be identified and checked.
- Metallic foreign body in the eye
- If you have ever worked with metal grinding, welding or lathe work, or had a metal fragment injury to the eye, say so. A tiny retained ferromagnetic fragment can move in the magnetic field and damage the eye. A plain orbital X-ray is done first to exclude it — this is a genuine, not theoretical, safety issue.
- Aneurysm clips, vascular coils and older heart valve prostheses
- Modern clips and valves are usually MRI-compatible, but older ferromagnetic ones are not, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. The exact device, model and implant date must be confirmed from your records before the scan is booked.
- Neurostimulators, insulin pumps, infusion pumps and programmable shunts
- Deep brain, spinal cord and vagus nerve stimulators, implanted drug pumps and programmable hydrocephalus shunt valves all need manufacturer-specific handling — some must be switched off, some reprogrammed afterwards, some preclude the scan entirely. Insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors are removed before entering the room.
- Pregnancy
- MRI does not use radiation and is used in pregnancy when needed, but scanning in the first trimester is generally avoided unless the benefit is clear, and gadolinium contrast is avoided in pregnancy altogether. Tell the team so the decision is made deliberately.
- Severe kidney impairment, if contrast is planned
- Gadolinium-based contrast is cleared by the kidneys and has been linked with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in people with severe renal impairment. Kidney function is checked before any contrast-enhanced MRI, and a non-contrast protocol or an alternative agent is used where necessary.
- Severe claustrophobia, or inability to lie still
- The bore is a narrow tube and scans can run to 45 minutes. Say so in advance rather than discovering it inside the scanner: a wide-bore or open scanner, a prone or feet-first position, a mirror, music, a companion in the room, or mild sedation arranged with your doctor can all make the difference between a completed scan and an abandoned one.
- Loose metal, cosmetics and removable items
- Jewellery, watches, hairpins, hearing aids, dentures, piercings, underwired bras, transdermal medication patches (some contain a metallic foil backing and can burn), and metallic-particle makeup or eyelash extensions all come off before you enter the room. Even a hairclip becomes a projectile in a magnetic field.
Who should consider this scan
- Anyone with unexplained persistent headache and abnormal neurological findings
- People with new seizures or suspected epilepsy
- Patients with suspected demyelinating disease
- Anyone with progressive memory or cognitive change
- Follow-up after a stroke, tumour or previously abnormal scan
Conditions it helps detect
How it works
Patient stories
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